Malawi’s Mutharika Wins Presidential Election

Democratic Progressive Party’s leader garners
36.4 percent of vote defeating incumbent
president in disputed election.
Peter Mutharika, the leader of the Democratic
Progressive Party and brother of Malawi’s former
leader, has been declared the winner of the
country’s disputed presidential election after
garnering 36.4 percent of the votes cast.
The electoral commission said Mutharika came
ahead of Lazarus Chakwera who obtained 27.8
percent of the vote and outgoing president Joyce
Banda who garnered 20.2 percent.
Banda has reportedly accepted the election results
despite earlier this week claiming the vote was null
and void amid allegations of polling irregularities
and fraud.
The results were announced minutes after a court
refused to grant an extension for a recount that
had been sought by Chakwera.
Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa, reporting from the city
of Blantyre, said that Mutharika was expected to
begin the inauguration process early on Saturday
and forgo the presidential transition period, in
order to avoid facing contention from his
opponents.
On Thursday, Maxon Mbendera, the head of the
country’s electoral commission, said that the
presidential elections were held in a free, fair, and
credible manner although anomalities were
discovered at over 4,000 polling stations.
Malawi was forced to deploy the army on the first
day of voting last week after delays in opening the
polls led voters to riot and burn down at least two
stations.
Supporters of Banda have held a series of protests
alleging that the vote was rigged in favour of
Mutharika.
The violence marred an election that was seen as
the first true test of Banda’s scandal-tainted rule.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/05/
malawi-mutharika-wins-presidential-
election-201453021383487821.html